Kozhikode: The institutions for the protection of child rights in the state, including the social justice department, are yet to make any study on the life of children in the government shelters and what makes them leave home before turning 18. According to statistics, 144 boys dropped out of the Government Children’s Home in Vellimadukunnu, Kozhikode, till date. The situation is not better in other districts also. From Government Children’s home, Mayithara, Alappuzha, 101 boys dropped out, and seven dropped out from Government Children’s Home for Boys, Thavanur, Malappuram, according to the information available through Right To Information Act.
Kerala State Commission for the Protection of Child Rights chairperson Shobha Koshy said though a study was made into the life of inmates post children’s home with the Association of Human Rights Law Network, no studies were carried out regarding the life of children inside the government homes. “There should be a reason why these kids were going outside the ambit of the system, without proper rehabilitation,” she said. The Chevayur police, where the most cases registered in the state on missing inmates confirmed that there were cases involving former pupils, committing crimes like bike theft, but considering them as juveniles, the details could not be released.
Social justice department director T.V. Anupama said that the department would set up a separate aftercare home for boys this financial year itself. “We have initiated action this month to devise a proper aftercare programme under child protection scheme and also to set up new aftercare home for boys. We hope to establish this system for our homes in this financial year,” said Ms Anupama, adding the all the dropout may not be missing children, but those taken back by the parents, as all of them are not orphans, but landed in the homes out of poverty.
